Bowsite.com

More than 125 graduate students worked for more than a year and raised more than $27,000 to pay for the event and a reception, the Root reported.

Students attending the ceremony, scheduled for later this month, will still participate in the main graduation ceremony as well."

Huh??? Back when I was in school this was called RACISM.

Which is of course the reason they need a separate ceremony????

" Racist much?"

ANYTHING that categorizes according to race is racist.

Because of the bigger academic challenges those schools have, a large percentage of those affirmative action admittees can't handle the academics. So they either flunk out or drop out, thereby failing to get degrees at all.

Had these same kids enrolled in schools they were academically qualified for, however, they would be far more apt to graduate with degrees and go on to succeed.

There are fewer better examples of the failure of liberal policies than this.

T.S. Eliot understood this more than half a century ago when he wrote: "Half the harm that is done in this world is due to people who want to feel important. They don't mean to do harm -- but the harm does not interest them. Or they do not see it, or they justify it because they are absorbed in the endless struggle to think well of themselves.""

Liberalism defined!

This is exactly the kind of action..... applauded by the left..... that only increases any racial divide, not closes it. how could it possibly "heal" it? A nation colorblind is not what they want. Race Mongers like Obama and Sharpton/Jackson et al..... this is what they want.

The white left that wallows in their "guilt", mostly like freestuff and the Lying Houseboat Captain who were given most if not all they have...... it's all they have to salvage their self esteem. As pointed out, the overwhelming drive to feel good about themselves, to have some relevance, is all encompassing.... and sadly has no basis in life or reality.....

You can't fix stupid. The parts were back ordered and have been discontinued.

I wasn't saying the ceremony was affirmative action. I was referring to the discrepancy between GPA and test scores for students.

Call me racist if you want but I think you should have to earn your place in this world, not have it given to you because of the color of your skin.

So are you saying that blacks that meet entrance and graduation standards are the exception?

"RACIST MUCH"

Faux outrage at CF, as usual.....

Matt

But to amplify KPC's point, does ANYONE seriously think that if white students did this it wouldn't be a 24/7 news lead about how racist the whites are??? Either racism is wrong or it isn't. It cannot be fine for one race but not another. That's EXACTLY what started the civil rights movement in the first place.

To paraphrase Martin Luther King......"What part of 'not by the color of their skin but the content of their character' do they not understand??"

The Harvard ceremony in question is open to any students, not just blacks. Similar ethnical graduation ceremonies have been held at numerous major universities for several years, including Harvard. It's nothing new.

I don't have a problem with it, YMMV.

Matt

Uh.....BULLSHIT!

From the article........."Organizers of the *** blacks-only*** graduation ceremony plan to hold a similar event for black undergraduate students next year."

Doesn't sound very "open" to me.

You may consider reading several sources, especially when your first source is "The Blaze".

From Fox News: "Black undergraduates at Harvard have held similar graduation events in the past, but student organizers say the new ceremony is the first that's open to students across the university."

From the Boston Globe: "But the ceremony is “not about segregation,” said Michael Huggins, president of the Harvard Black Graduate Student Alliance, which is organizing the event. Students of all racial and ethnic backgrounds may attend, he said, and the black students taking part in the ceremony also plan to attend the university’s official commencement on May 25 in Harvard Yard."

From CBS news: "This event is truly open for everyone," said Huggins, who is graduating with a master's in public policy this month. "We really want this to be an open affair where people can learn about some experiences that often go unnoticed."

Matt

And you may want to read the Fox report a tad closer. It says that.....

"Student organizers of the “Black Commencement 2017” said it is the first university-wide graduation ceremony ***FOR BLACK STUDENTS*** and is designed to celebrate their achievements and struggles at an elite institution with historic ties to slavery..."

Then it says........

"Michael Huggins, the president of the Harvard Black Graduate Student Alliance, said “it’s not about segregation.” Students of all racial and ethnic backgrounds will be allowed to attend."

Note that it says ATTEND, not PARTICIPATE. That's for blacks only. And that, is racist. Kinda like MLB was pre-Jackie Robinson. If you're not white you can watch the game, but you can't PLAY.

No, that's not racism, it's discrimination. You should learn the difference.

Racism is the belief that one's race is superior to another, or abusive behavior towards towards another race. This commencement is/does neither of those things.

Discrimination is treating one group differently than others. This commencement certainly does that. Unlike racism, however, not all discrimination is bad.

If these black kids want to celebrate their race, and their graduation, discriminately and peacefully, what's the harm?

Matt

The majority of students at Harvard aren't white. To me, that image of a racially diverse group accepting their diplomas at the main graduation is the great backdrop to make point about improving race relations in America.

LOL!!!

Matt is not a conservative, nor has he ever claimed to be one! Everyone here but one person knows that.

What's a shame is if people mistake having an open mind with lacking a moral compass or solid principles; quite the contrary-it takes a sense of security only possessed by those with those qualities in abundance to be willing to put their cards on the table any time 24/7 and let the chips fall where they may.

Matt doesn't need me to ride shotgun for him; he's more than capable of parrying the slings and arrows on his own; my interjection is for the benefit of those who might benefit from taking a step back and assessing what I've said for themselves and then perhaps drawing a slightly altered conclusion (or not).

Matt's one of the good guys folks; plenty of those around here though occasionally the hyperbole can mute the saner voices.

I've seen Matt post here for a very long time and he's absolutely one of the posters I respect the most, even though we disagree often times.

Hackbow,

Fair question. I think the point is celebrating their ethnicity and perceived common heritage.

I'm German and celebrate Oktoberfest. I have Irish friends who celebrate St. Patrick's Day, and Mexican friends who celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Does that make us all racists?

Most black American's are descendants of slaves with unknown heritages. I think that's why skin color becomes their most identifying trait.

Matt

Fair is fair and all admittance should be held to the same level. Don't make the grade due to your ability or lack of your desire then move on.

I'm sure I disappointed her as a child, because while she celebrated her heritage, and justifiably so, I never got into that at all. Even when I was a very young child, I simply viewed myself as an American. Nothing less, nothing more.

I sure did like those Erin sweaters, however!

Good point. I enjoy Oktoberfest for the beer, mostly, not because it's a German holiday.

My point is, these kids aren't having a special commencement to feel superior to another race, or to do harm to another race. Therefore, by definition it's not racism.

I'm willing to bet many of these kids are the first in their families to ever graduate from college, not to mention one of the most prestigious colleges in the land. If they want a night to distinguish themselves and celebrate with others of similar backgrounds and ethnicity, I'll lift a glass on their behalf.

On the other hand, if the event becomes a political statement, I'll be the first to condemn it.

Matt

I'm sure my Mom cringed but but 70's decor is all sorta cringeworthy now.

All the St Pattys day events I have been to I never heard any with Irish heritage get political about the atrocities their people suffered. It was mostly about refreshments and fun. St Patrick wasn't even Irish so maybe thats why anyone gets to be Irish that day. :^)

The content of the speeches I came across had a lot of political stuff. “Three weeks before my first day at Harvard, I learned of the murder of Michael Brown. Months later, I listened as my professor struggled to explain the public policy that allowed his murderer to walk free,”

Now, in my experience, graduations are as much for the families as they are for the graduates. If you were a younger sibling or relative of one of the black graduates, what would have a more positive future impact on you: 1) watching a commencement in which less than 1% of the graduates shared your race and ethnicity, or 2) watching a commencement in which all the graduates shared your race and ethnicity?

IMO, #1 is likely to dissuade a young and impressionable mind, because the poor odds are so very apparent. #2 may inspire that same mind into thinking, "if they can do it, I can too." I know it's just a matter of perception, but perception is often reality.

Anyway, I toast all the Harvard graduates. And I recognize that humans are tribal by nature, so I have no problem with the black kids having their own celebration, as long as that's all it is.

Matt

It would not be unreasonable to see demands for not only separate graduation ceremonies, separate dorms and black only water fountains.

Ghandi had it right, when he said, "Our ability to reach unity in diversity will be the beauty and the test of our civilization."

Matt

-Not singularly as the statement suggests but I agree it will be a hallmark of a high functioning society. However, what is unifying about specific exclusion?

We grow older by the moment and in my ticking expiration, I tend to categorize things into 1 of two categories, "Helpful" or "Not Helpful." Social segregation, either voluntary or forced, is just 'not helpful.'

At least this thread has transformed from fax outrage over racism to a more muted concern over "social segregation." I view that as progress.

Matt

KPC, I think you fail to recognize that these black kids raised the funds and paid for the commencement themselves. Harvard didn't sponsor it, they just provided a venue for it. And I'm sure the university was compensated for that venue. My hope is any ethnical group could do the same thing, if they so desired.

"Celebrating diversity isn't racism or segregation."

As long as it is a non white, non christian, non heterosexual group doing the celebrating? Right?

Asians - 2300 - 30% of students admitted

Whites - 2218 - 58%

hispanic - 2174 - 12%

Blacks - 2149 - 11%

While academic grades and test scores are not the only criteria used for admission, I think very few realize how exceptional a SAT score of 2000+ is. If test scores were the only criteria used, Asians would clearly represent the majority who are admitted. So, are Asians the victims of racism here?

Matt

-Well, perhaps, in a vacuum. However, in a society wherein morays are weaponized politically, such behaviors do present a harm/benefit.

When you host and fund a social gathering, do you open your doors to everyone, or do you discriminately pick who gets invited?

-Don't conflate the meanings of discrimination, it's root, etc . It's inherently deceitful. However, entertaining the ruse, should I discriminate racially, it would be a lonely gathering. And, long term, I would alienate a substantial portion of my family. So, even then, there would be a "harm" experienced.

One can try to justify and rationalize and attempt to make "exceptions" for the use of race as a criteria for many things. But it IS literally racism. And that is a reality too.

Taken a step further....... the hypocrisy of applauding one group's use of racial criteria and disavowing other groups use of it...... IMO that is equally as bad. It's using two sets of rules.... one for me and my group and different rules for you and your group.

That is "unity"?

No it's not. Here's the definition of racism from several sources:

Merriam-Webster - Racism : a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.

Oxford Distionaries - Racism: Prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior.

Dictionary.com - Racism: a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human racial groups determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to dominate others or that a particular racial group is inferior to the others.

None of those definitions state that using race as a criteria is racism.

Note, every definition does include the idea or belief that one race is superior to another. But, I don't think that's what this commencement was about, do you?

Matt

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

There, they might as well get it over with...

I didn't respond, because I didn't see a need to. Your post mostly reiterated my point, which is blacks are held to roughly the same academic standards as other ethnic groups. 100 point differences on the SAT, when your dealing with 2000+ scores, is almost meaningless. But, GPA and test scores is just one criteria used.

Guess what another criteria is? Yep, you guess it. Race. It's clearly stated in Harvard's policies, if you care to research it. Does that make Harvard's admitting policies racists? If so, is your argument that every major university that has mirrored Harvard's admitting policies is also racists?

Matt

Funny how one can discriminate, hold prejudice. etc based solely on race...... exactly what they are doing.... and that's OK. As long as you don't believe you are SUPERIOR based on race? THEN it is racist? Who is it making these definitions? How about another....

Adjective: "showing or feeling discrimination or prejudice against people of other races, OR (not "and") believing that a particular race is superior to another." Excluding all but your own race from participation is somehow not prejudice ("bias")? Or discrimination ("making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit")?

The gatekeepers have officially defined "racist" with a caveat, so as THEY can apply racial criteria and not be called "racist"..... everything based on what your inner feelings or intentions are and not the facts or results of the action. Kinda like Hillary didn't MEAN to break the law so it was OK....

Fine..... don't want to call it racist, not a problem. We'll go with "racial segregation" then. "the separation or segregation of races in everyday life". So Racial Segregation it is..... It's OK then. Got it. But somehow I think the supporters won't like that description either... no matter how well it fits some official "definition".

Look, no one here has said they have NO right to do this. Many are saying it's NOT right.

I don't want to take anything away from any of these kids.... good for them, it's a great thing they have done, a great accomplishment. Shake their hands, pat their back, give em a hug. Right along with everyone else who has done it.... at graduation. They are not different, nor are they special. They ARE individuals, yet part of a graduating class. Feel a part of THAT class. Not separate yourself out because you see yourself in a different "class". That is something that doesn't end after graduation.

Bottom line..... this would not even be tolerated, much less celebrated, if it were a white male hetero group doing the same thing. And those arguing for support of the event know this, but do not address how they reconcile having two separate rules where there should not be..... unless you also believe there should be separate classes of people as well.

I have an idea. Why don't we have whites only restaurants, and water fountains? After all, if someone opens the restaurant with his own funds. And while we're at it, whites only or Asians only, apartments.

Good grief.

Well, you whiteys can twist yourselves up into knots over this, but this whitey won't. I simply don't care if the black Harvard graduates have their own ceremony. Nor would I care if the Asians, Hispanics, or whites did the same thing.

Different races is reality, as is human nature that causes us to identify with our own race. Celebrating our race isn't inherently racist, as long as it doesn't harm anyone, and it isn't intended to promote a sense of superiority of one race over another.

If one of those black students were a close friend or in-law of mine, I would have proudly attended this commencement and lifted my glass to a ethnic group that's accomplished something very special and rare in todays society.

Matt

“The overwhelming question during this first year at Harvard was: how can I survive in a world that seems not to value my life?”

“People say that Harvard is a bubble, as if we do not live in the real world,” said Kyrah Malika Daniels, who is receiving a PhD in African and African-American studies. “Yes and no. The reality is that those of us whose skins reflects all the beautiful shades of black and brown do not have the luxury of living in a bubble, for we are eternally visible to the harsh external world.”

“They will try to craft our stories as examples of the benefits of personal responsibility, as proof that the American dream exists for all, instead of just a select few,”

“We’re in the midst of so much degradation of blackness in the world today, from the shooting of unarmed black folks to the struggles across the country and the world,”

But, at least she can use the "N-word" and participate in an orchestrated graduation where everyone is the same skin color, without being labeled a racist.

Now if only a white Christian conservative could give a speech at UC Berkeley without a riot ensuing, or perhaps Chik-Fil-A could sell a chicken sandwich at Duquesne University, that would be overcoming some real struggles!

Oh well...just the ramblings of another deplorable....

So, I've seen separate but equal, up close and personal.

I think we've all seen true racism. This isn't it, IMO.

This commencement didn't harm another race in any way. And the message wasn't "blacks are superior", from what I've read. So it wasn't racism.

Look, I can find plenty of legitimate things to get outraged over. I don't have to manufacture reasons. YMMV.

Matt

We're back to having ceremonies based on the color of people's skin, rather than the content of their character.